Every year Editor & Publisher Magazine recognizes one newspaper leader from around the globe who has gone above and beyond their duties to increase the relevance of their newspaper as well as to ensure its ongoing financial health. Since joining The Chronicle in 2013, Johnson has lead the charge to transform the newspaper into an omnichannel media company focused on building strong investments in people and products.

Under Johnson’s leadership, digital advertising revenue is up 16 percent over 2016 and now comprises 48 percent of total advertising revenue for The Chronicle. Additionally, in 2017 SFChronicle.com has seen traffic grow to more than 4.5 million unique monthly visitors, an 87 percent increase over 2016. On the editorial side, Johnson has supported the creation of innovative new content. For example, in August, The Chronicle launched The Press, an online, interactive guide where visitors can read reviews and explore and create trips to wine country.

“I don’t see (Johnson) as a boss,” said Steve Bentz, the Chronicle’s senior vice president of sales. “He’s more like a partner and a collaborator…he’s the perfect blend of a visionary and an executioner."

Johnson’s work in transforming The Chronicle has led him to fund the creation of an investigative reporting team, invest in digital agency 46Mile and content marketing provider StoryStudio, and partner with Google on various events.